Reporter puts rifles to the test

Published 9:52 pm, Saturday, April 6, 2013

The two rifles were laid out before me on a barrel at a Monroe County gun range: an AR-15 and a Ruger Mini-14.

The guns use exactly the same cartridges. They're both semiautomatic. They have similar "actions." But under New York's new NY SAFE Act, the AR-15 is banned and the Ruger is not.

A gun guy I am not: I haven't handled a rifle since I learned to shoot a .22 in the Boy Scouts over a decade ago. Those were bolt-action guns designed for target shooting and — if the stars aligned — killing squirrels. So I was intimidated by the thought of shooting something akin to an M16.

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Dave Jenkins, a Rochester firearms instructor introduced to me by Assemblyman Bill Nojay, said the fundamentals would be the same, and that the only difference between the guns were "evil features," including a flash suppressor and pistol-style grip on the AR-15.

"It's like adding chrome rims (on a car's wheels) as opposed to stock steel," he said. "Operationally, these guns are the same."

I picked up the AR-15 first. It was fairly light — about 8 pounds — and easy to handle. The action slid easily, grabbing the first round from the magazine into the chamber. I put it to my shoulder, lined up the sights, exhaled slowly, and squeezed the trigger like a dimmer switch as Jenkins suggested. There wasn't much kick, just a cloud of dirt beyond the target — its center safe from my rusty aim.

The Ruger was heavier and sturdier. It was also a bit harder to pull back, but I liked the feel of it — including the way I gripped it — better. The kick was roughly the same.

But I didn't notice a huge difference. It's up to you whether that's evidence that the ban is justified or totally unnecessary.